Assembly having an end-face cover

ABSTRACT

An assembly having an end-face cover of a case of a turbomachine, in particular for a turbomachine having a canned design, wherein the assembly has at least the cover and an additional case. The cover has a first opening all the way through, wherein the additional case is attached to the cover, wherein the first opening leads into an interior of the additional case, wherein the additional case has a closable second opening, wherein the additional case is defined by walls, wherein at least one pipe connection of shaft feed-through is provided on the walls of the additional case.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the US National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2015/056397 filed Mar. 25, 2015, and claims the benefit thereof. The International Application claims the benefit of German Application No. DE 102014207430.4 filed Apr. 17, 2014. All of the applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to an arrangement having an end-face cover of a casing, in particular for a turbomachine of barrel-type design.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Turbomachines of barrel-type design are normally closed by at least one cover, which is attached to the barrel or casing shell, at an end face in the axial direction, in order to close the casing hermetically. Frequently, moreover, the barrel of the casing is of a modular structure, such that, for example, a cover is fastened to the casing from both end faces. Such barrel-type casings are suitable for absorbing particularly high pressure differences, because the shell part, which is generally substantially cylindrical, is not weakened by a division along a joint extending in the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. Experience shows that joints extending in the longitudinal axis of the casing are frequently the cause of casing deformations, caused thermally or by pressure differences, which can also result in untight seals and other functional disorders on the corresponding turbomachine.

A turbomachine having features of an arrangement of the type stated at the outset is already known from each of the documents DE 197 45 606 C2 and WO 2009/053 155 A1.

A turbomachine having an end-face cover, on which there is provided an additional casing that has a removable cover, is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,116.

Arrangements of the generic type are already known from EP 0 530 518 A1 and WO 94/04827.

In this case, expediently, a cover that closes the end face of a barrel-type casing in the manner already described is frequently also a support for further functional elements. The cover frequently supports and comprises, for example, radial bearings for carrying the rotor, and also the shaft seal, if such is required. Furthermore, the cover may also perform the function of supporting a transmission gear unit for transmitting a rotor rotational speed to an oil pump, likewise attached to the cover, for supplying the radial bearings and/or axial bearings of the rotor. Such a gear unit, having a coupling and the bearing system itself, as well as further functional components attached to the cover, or functional components present in the region of the cover, require regular servicing and inspection, so that the machine has a high availability and operational safety. For this purpose, the cover usually has a first opening, which enables this accessibility, and which can be closed. Usually, gaseous and/or fluid operating media are transferred into the interior of the casing via this opening. Furthermore, frequently, technical work is transferred through this opening by means of mechanical assemblies, for example mechanical power is transmitted by means of a shaft to an oil pump, which is driven by the rotor of the turbomachine and which provides lubricating oil to radial and/or axial bearings, realized as oil bearings.

Furthermore, it is another design that an oil return flow also be routed through this first opening. Moreover, this first opening may serve, advantageously, to connect measuring devices to evaluation and control units.

From the technical complexity in the region of the first opening of the cover, there ensues for persons skilled in the art the object of further developing the arrangement having an end-face cover, defined at the outset, in such a manner that all technical requirements, as described above, can be fulfilled and, at the same time, servicing and inspection works can be performed in a time-saving and efficient manner.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

To achieve this object, according to the invention, an arrangement having an end-face cover of the type stated at the outset, having the features of the independent claim, is proposed. The related dependent claims contain advantageous developments of the invention.

The arrangement according to the invention, having a casing to be closed by an end face cover, is usually of a barrel-type design, such that, usually, a cylindrical shell extends along a longitudinal axis, and the cover according to the invention is attached to the cylindrical shell of the casing at the end face, such that an open end face of the cylindrical shell is closed by means of the cover.

Advantageously, the additional casing is attached to the cover in such a manner that the first opening is thereby hermetically closed, apart from some planned infeeds and return flows of operating fluids.

A rotor of the turbomachine, the casing of which is closed by means of the arrangement, or cover, according to the invention, may expediently extend into the axial region of the additional casing, through the first opening. According to the invention in this case the first opening is realized to afford, through the latter, at least visual accessibility to a radial bearing for carrying this rotor. In addition, it is advantageous if inspection points and/or endoscope openings are provided for the radial bearing, such that these are accessible, through the first opening, from the additional casing.

Furthermore, it is expedient, according to an advantageous design of the invention, if an oil pump, which conveys lubricating oil for a bearing system of the rotor, is disposed on the additional casing or in the additional casing. Particularly expedient is a kinematic coupling between the oil pump and the rotor of the turbomachine for whose casing the cover according to the invention is designed. It is expedient in this case if a gear unit in the additional casing is assigned to the cover, the gear unit being suitable for being kinematically coupled to this rotor and driving the oil pump. For the purpose of coupling, the cover in the additional casing may advantageously have a coupling that enables a torque to be transmitted from the turbomachine rotor to the gear unit, or to the oil pump, and that can compensate misalignments.

In addition, the additional casing may be provided with connections for pipelines, which enable a return flow of lubricating oil, or the supply and removal of other operating fluids.

Particularly simple mounting can be achieved if the end face of the additional casing is realized such that the end face, in the flat extent parallel to the plane of the cover surface, is delimited by the covering part in such a manner that a part of the outer contour of this extent of the end face abuts an inner contour of the covering part. In this way, it is possible to remove the covering part from the additional casing perpendicularly in relation to a plane of extent of the cover, or of the end face, if necessary also in a sliding manner in the joint plane. In the case of a turbomachine of usual design, this demounting, oriented perpendicularly in relation to the plane of extent of the cover, corresponds to an axial mounting and demounting direction, relative to a rotation axis of the rotor of the turbomachine. This design of the covering enables the covering to be mounted with the interposition of a seal between the covering and the rest of the additional casing, in the region of the joint and of the contact between the end face of the additional casing and the covering, and in the region of the contact between the covering and a sealing face of the cover, in a manner that is easy on the static sealing elements in these contact regions during mounting operations. Moreover, in this way, it is not necessary for the covering to be removed precisely perpendicularly or parallel to a sealing face when being demounted from the additional casing. In this way, the static seal is spared and additional degrees of freedom are created for demounting the covering part from the additional casing, or for mounting it on the additional casing, such that surrounding components such as, for example, so-called auxiliary connections, need not be removed because of any collision.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail in the following on the basis of a special exemplary embodiment, with reference to drawings. There are shown in:

FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal section through an arrangement having a cover according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a schematic perspective representation of an arrangement according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an arrangement, according to the invention, of a turbomachine TM, with a cover COV of the turbomachine TM, in a schematic representation. FIG. 2 shows the arrangement in a perspective representation, a covering part CWC of an additional casing CAS2 being represented in a transparent manner. The arrangement in this case is not denoted, because in each case the arrangement comprises the totality of the representation. Whereas both figures depict the invention merely schematically, in both figures the turbomachine TM, comprising a casing CAS and a rotor R, is in each case merely indicated along an axis X, since the precise design of these components is of no importance for the invention.

A cover COV according to the invention is attached in a sealing manner to the casing CAS, at an end face. The casing CAS is of a barrel-type design, not represented. By a barrel-type design, persons skilled in the art will understand that there is at least one cylindrical shell of the casing CAS, extending substantially along the longitudinal axis, or axis X, which is advantageously realized without a joint in a plane extending parallel to the axis X, at least one end face of the resultant barrel being closed by means of a cover. Usually, the turbomachine TM is oriented in an operating position in such a manner that a rotor rotation axis, or axis X, is horizontal with respect to the direction of gravity g, and the closing cover COV is brought to the shell of the casing, at an end face, in a substantially horizontal movement, into a position that closes the shell of the casing in the manner of a barrel.

The cover COV is provided with a first opening OP1, the first axial end of a shaft SH extending along the axis X extending axially to through the first opening OP1. The first opening OP1 is closed outwardly by means of an additional casing CAS2 attached to the cover COV, seals, not represented in greater detail, which hermetically seal off the first opening OP1 from the environment, being provided between the cover COV and the additional casing CAS2.

The end of the shaft SH is connected, by means of a coupling CUP, to a gear unit GEA, which, by means of two toothed wheels TH1, TH2, transmits mechanical power to an oil pump OLP attached to the additional casing CAS2. The turbomachine shaft SH thus also drives the oil pump OLP, which supplies lubricating oil to radial bearings and/or axial bearings of the turbomachine TM, which are not represented. The representation of FIG. 1 shows the direction of gravity g, such that, relative to gravity g, a pipeline PI is attached to the lowest point of the additional casing CAS2, thereby providing for a return flow of the supplied lubricating oil, not represented in greater detail. The cover COV extends with a cover surface along a plane COP. This plane COP corresponds to the flat extent of the cover in respect of the function of the cover, to close the end face of a casing of the turbomachine TM. The plane COP is oriented perpendicularly in relation to the axis X.

The additional casing CAS2 is defined by walls W, the walls W constituting a shell part CW and an end face FFW of the additional casing CAS2. The end face FFW is to be understood substantially as a cover that closes the additional casing axially, and that extends substantially parallel to the plane COP of the cover COV. In this context, axially relates to the axis X of the rotor R. The walls W, which form the shell part CW, extend substantially perpendicularly in relation to the plane COP. The oil pump OLP is attached to the end face FFW, and a third opening OP3 enables the mechanical transmission of the driving power from the gear unit GEA to the oil pump OLP.

The shell part CW is divided along a joint TF that extends perpendicularly in relation to the plane COP. When the cover COV, or the turbomachine TM, is in an operating position, relative to gravity g, a covering part CWC of the shell part CW is located above the joint TF. The covering part CWC can be released from the rest of the shell part CW and removed from the additional casing CAS2. The covering part CWC is attached in a sealing manner in relation to the cover COV, in the joint TF, and in relation to a contact face of the end face FFW of the additional casing CAS2. The covering part CWC can advantageously be mounted and demounted axially.

The end face FFW is delimited, in the flat extent parallel to the plane COP, by the covering part CWC, in such a manner that a part of the outer contour OC of this extent abuts an inner contour IC of the covering part. This makes it possible for the covering part CWC to be demounted from the additional casing CAS2, not only following a movement vector that is parallel to the plane COP, but also following a movement vector that is perpendicular to the plane COP or disposed obliquely in relation to the plane COP. This high degree of freedom of movement in the demounting of the covering part provides for a free design of the configuration of the surrounding components, without the removal of the covering part, for the purpose of servicing or inspection, necessitating the demounting of other surrounding components. The end face FFW is otherwise attached to the shell part CW by a contact face CS3 extending parallel to the plane COP.

The removable covering part CWC enables inspection of the interior of the additional casing CAS2, located in which there are, for example, bearings, without the necessity of demounting the lower part of the casing shell of the additional casing CAS2. Moreover, the end face FFW, with the oil pump attached thereto, can remain in the operating position. Owing to the improved flexibility of the arrangement, measuring probes, for example for measuring vibrations, can be fixed to the cover, since the cover can be moved flexibly during mounting operations, allowance being made for cable lengths. 

1.-4. (canceled)
 5. An arrangement having an end-face cover (COV) of a casing (CAS) of a turbomachine (TM), wherein the arrangement comprises: at least the cover (COV) and an additional casing (CAS2), wherein the cover (COV) is provided with a first continuous opening (OP1), wherein the additional casing (CAS2) is attached to the cover (COV), wherein the first opening (OP1) leads into an interior of the additional casing (CAS2), wherein the additional casing (CAS2) is defined by walls (W), wherein at least one pipe connection or a shaft bushing is/are provided on the walls (W) of the additional casing (CAS2), wherein the walls (W) constitute a shell part (CW) and an end face (FFW), wherein the end face (FFW) extends substantially parallel to a plane of the cover surface (COP), wherein the shell part (CW) extends substantially perpendicularly in relation to the plane (COP), wherein the first opening (OP1) is realized in such a manner that at least visual accessibility to a radial bearing for carrying a rotor (R) of the turbomachine (TM) is afforded through the first opening (OP1), wherein the additional casing (CAS2) has a closable second opening (OP2), wherein the shell part (CW) of the additional casing (CAS2) is divided along a joint (TF) extending perpendicularly in relation to the plane (COP), wherein the covering part (CWC) of the shell part (CW) that is at the top, relative to gravity (g), when the cover (COV) is in an operating position is releasable and removable from the rest of the shell part (CW), in the joint (TF).
 6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: an oil pump (OLP), wherein the oil pump (OLP) is attached to the additional casing (CAS2) from the outside, to the end face (FFW).
 7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover (COV) has a gear unit (GEA), which is kinematically connected to the oil pump (OLP), and which has at least one gear ratio and at least one coupling (CUP) for coupling the gear unit (GEA) to a drive shaft, through the first opening (OP1).
 8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the end face (FFW), in the flat extent parallel to the plane (COP), is delimited by the covering part (CWC) in such a manner that a part of the outer contour (OC) of this extent of the end face abuts an inner contour (IC) of the covering part (CWC).
 9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the turbomachine (TM) is of a barrel-type design. 